


Hawkguys

by JenNova



Category: Avengers (Comics), Hawkeye (Comics), Young Avengers (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-06
Updated: 2013-09-06
Packaged: 2017-12-25 18:24:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/956269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenNova/pseuds/JenNova
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two Hawkguys are better than one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hawkguys

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Two Hawkeyes Are Better Than One, The Mix](https://archiveofourown.org/works/955409) by [kultiras](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kultiras/pseuds/kultiras), [pyroblaze18 (kultiras)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kultiras/pseuds/pyroblaze18). 



> Written for the second round of the ARBB. And a companion to [this mix](http://archiveofourown.org/works/955409%22) by kultiras.
> 
> It's basically been an exercise in writing something I wouldn't mind Fraction stumbling upon. It's not entirely linear and references the current volume of Young Avengers as well as Hawkeye.
> 
> Spoiler Warnings: for both comics to date.
> 
> Beta by H, all remaining mistakes my own.

1\. _Under Pressure_

Okay.

This looks bad.

This is the fifth time this year I've found myself falling backward out of a window. This, at least, may be the highest window I've fallen out of. Hooray for a new personal best.

My fingers are slick with blood as I try to grab a grapple arrow from the quiver and I'm not even sure if I'm going to be able to draw with my busted shoulder but Kate is up there and I've got to -

Kate follows me out the window, diving head first like she's trying out for the Olympic diving squad.

Aw, Kate.

The ear comm she pressed on me before we walked into the building buzzes loudly in my ear.

“I swear to God, Barton, what will you do when you fall out of a window and I'm not there?”

I laugh in reply, watching as she turns midair and preps her own grapple arrow. My fingers close around a different arrow before Kate can yell: “Use the sticky arrow.”

“Paste arrow,” I correct, nocking the arrow and clipping a line onto it. If I focus hard enough I can see that Kate's got a piece of board strapped across her back – looks like the desk I busted through on my way to the window.

“Whatever,” Kate says dismissively. “Just use the arrow before all of this becomes pointless.”

I aim and draw, wincing as fire licks through my shoulder, then fire in nothing like a smooth action – my form shot to hell. The arrow has enough power behind it to break gravity and explode against the board. Kate's smooth drop jerks as the line snaps taut but she still finds the calm to centre and aim her own arrow.

This is why Kate is a better Hawkeye than me most of the time.

“I'm not hauling you up this line,” Kate says when her arrow finds its target and we both jerk to a halt. “How do you feel about going through another window?”

“That you're not going to give me a choice,” I say, flicking a catch on the base of my quiver and dropping a handful of explosive arrowheads into my hand.

“That's right,” Kate replies as I prime the arrowheads. “On three -”

Kate has one arm wrapped around her own line and she reaches down to fit a hand around mine. It amazes me, how strong she is.

I swing myself, trying to help build momentum, and listen for Kate's count.

“One.”

I arc toward the window.

“Two.”

I swing away.

“Three.”

I throw the arrow heads ahead of me and the window shatters a second before I fly through it, curling into a recovery roll and releasing the line connecting me to Kate. I watch as the board that had been strapped to Kate's back falls past the window – it's definitely part of the desk.

“Barton?” Kate almost sounds worried, I'm touched.

“Yeah, yeah, I'm fine,” I push myself upright and tear a strip of fabric off my shirt. “You?”

“Heading for the roof,” Kate replies as I wrap my shoulder. “Meet you in the middle?”

“Sounds good,” I say, moving my arm to test the give. The pain is excruciating, of course, but I can bear it.

“Try not to get thrown out of another window.”

“No more defenestration for me today.”

2\. _Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of_

“Clint.”

“Kate.”

“ _Clint_.”

“ _Kate_.”

Kate let out a sigh and pushed away from the wall, crossing lightly to join Clint in the kitchen. He was staring firmly at the Daily Bugle, avoiding even looking at Lucky.

“So we're really not going to talk about this,” Kate said, leaning her forearms on the counter next to Clint.

“Talk about what?” Clint said, turning a page. Kate wondered when he'd realise that the paper was upside down.

“You cheating on Jessica,” Kate said, turning her head to look up at him. Clint made a sound like she'd punched him in the gut.

Good.

“I -” Clint stopped, dropping the paper and rubbing a hand over his bed hair. “That's not -”

“Pretty sure that's exactly what it was,” Kate said, standing up and turning to lean against the counter. “Even for you that's messed up.”

“You gonna tell her?” Clint asked, avoiding her eyes.

Kate tapped her foot against the ground.

“Don't think I'm going to have to,” Kate said. “She's _Spider-woman_.”

“Yeah,” Clint's laugh was hollow. “She is.”

“You're going to have get yourself out of this,” Kate said, moving away from the counter. “Don't ask me to lie for you.”

“I won't,” Clint said. Kate bent down to scratch Lucky behind the ear and walked over to the door.

“Clint,” she said, one hand on the handle. Clint looked up and met her eyes. “Tell her before she finds out. I don't want to have to clean your corpse up.”

3\. _Come Back Down_

“I can't be around you if you're going to do this to yourself,” Kate says.

She looks at me for a long time – like she thinks I'm going to defend myself – then sighs. She turns away and all I can think is that I deserve this.

“The thing that really pisses me off,” Kate says as she stands by the door, “is that you've stopped fighting for yourself and because of that you're not fighting for the people you promised you'd protect.”

She looks over her shoulder at me and she's angrier than I've ever seen her. She opens the door and pauses one more time.

“C'mon Lucky,” she says, not looking back.

Lucky looks up at me.

“Kate, come on, you can't -” I start but Lucky's already following her out the door, tail wagging slowly.

“Crap.”

The door swings shut behind them both and I drop my head onto the counter. It should be some kind of wake up call but I can't stop blaming myself for Grills. Kate's right – I took responsibility for these people when I bought this building and look what I've done with that responsibility.

Nothing.

4\. _Who You Are Without Me_

Kate followed Clint to Madripoor. She was honestly surprised when Clint was surprised she'd followed him.

Of course she was going to follow him. Who knew how badly he'd screw up if left to his own devices.

–

Jumping out of a window after Clint wasn't high on her list of things she wanted to do and yet -

–

Of course Clint would call her to pick him up from a hook-up. And shirtless too. _Of course_.

–

In between running from Skrulls, fighting Skrulls, finding out they weren't Skrulls and eating at a ridiculous amount of diners with her friends Kate fielded texts from Clint that ranged from:

**How do I get bloodstains out of wood flooring?**

to:

**Funny story about a guy that walks into a room containing three women that are REALLY unhappy with him...**

and of course:

 **Okay. This looks bad.** and a link to a story about 250,000 dollars worth of damage perpetrated by Clint and _Deadpool_ of all people.

Noh-Varr was endlessly curious. Kate didn't know what to do with that.

–

She stood with him at Grills' funeral.

Yeah.

–

“The West Coast could do with having a Hawkeye again.”

“Try and figure out who the hell you are without someone before you try being with someone again.”

5\. _People Like Us_

It's a while before Kate comes back to the east coast. Something about an extra-dimensional something or other that was affecting everyone? I don't remember it but apparently she and those Young Avengers kids sorted it out. Good for them.

Anyway.

Kate comes back. I apologise. We end up fighting the Kingpin because apparently I've pissed him off.

Which isn't surprising, really.

“Did you go completely Frank Castle when I left?” Kate asks, using a putty arrow (hah!) to incapacitate some goons.

“Well, there was the bit where I went into space and fought a fleet of angry aliens determined on destroying the entire universe,” I reply, ducking behind a bit of shattered wall. “But, uh, mostly, yeah.”

“That wasn't what I meant,” Kate says, sliding across the floor and joining me. “When I heavily implied you needed to start taking some responsibility.”

“If it gets the job done -” I fire an explosive arrow over our cover and smile over the detonation.

Kate shakes her head at me and ducks out of the cover to move forward. I follow her after another detonation.

“Just like old times, right?” I ask, grinning at her as we chase the Kingpin.

“Yeah,” Kate says, quirking half a smile at me. “Something like that.”

6\. _I'll Stand By You_

Okay.

This looked bad.

Apparently Loki's full proof plan to destroy Mother hadn't been as effective as they'd hoped.

“Friend of yours?” Clint asked, jerking his head toward Mother's shifting form.

“Remember the extra-dimensional something or other?” Kate asked, putting herself back to back with Clint.

“This is that?” Clint asked. She could feel him moving to draw an arrow from his quiver.

“This is that,” Kate said, drawing her own arrow.

Mother had grabbed the Avengers again – Kate had no idea how Clint didn't get caught up in it – and Kate was staring down Rogue. Normally she'd be excited to meet her (Teddy and Billy weren't the only people to get excited about heroes) but not when the mutant was looking at her like she wanted to put a fist through her face.

“How'd you guys defeat her last time?” Clint asked, nudging Kate with an elbow.

“You're not going to like it,” Kate said, trying to keep one eye on the Scarlet Witch floating above them.

“I'm going to like being killed by Captain America a hell of a lot less,” Clint said. Kate risked a look over her shoulder to see Cap pulling his shield onto his arm.

“Loki,” Kate said, wincing when Clint swore.

“Maybe I'll take my chances,” Clint said. She could feel him drawing his bow.

“Two Hawkguys are better than one I guess,” Kate said, shrugging and raising her own bow.

“All the same,” Clint said. “Hope your cavalry gets here _before_ Wanda can de-exist me again.”

Kate laughed because she couldn't not.

7\. _Time After Time_

_On a scale of one to cheating on Spider-woman where does sleeping with a reformed Kree villain who the Avengers hate fall?_

**You had sex with Noh-Varr?**

_How did you know it was him? It could've been another reformed Kree villain._

**Name one.**

_Point._

**And to answer the question: if you like him would it matter?**

_When did you get so mature?_

**Guess you rubbed off on me.**

–

**So. My brother's in town.**

_That's. Good?_

**Yeah. It is. I think.**

_That's very mature of you. All things considered._

**Told you you rubbed off on me.**

–

_If I was to, hypothetically, be completely unable to return to NYC even if I wanted to will you be okay?_

**You worried about me Bishop?**

_God help me Barton I really am._

**I think I can handle things around here for a while. I am an Avenger.**

_Just. Be safe Clint._

**You too, Kate. Hypothetically.**

8\. _Top Of The World_

Okay, this?

This looks _good_.

It's a year to the day since Grills' funeral and despite the weather we're having a cookout on the rooftop to honour him. Kate's friend Billy is working his Mom's magic and keeping everything dry and warm. He makes me nervous, of course, but he's a good kid far as I can tell.

Kate's friends all seem like good kids – sometimes I think Hank should try and get them to visit the Academy, show those kids that you can be an accomplished hero at that age if you try.

(Kate laughs at me when I suggest that. Guess I'm missing something there.)

They're mixing with the residents and there's a lot of laughter going around. I think Grills would like it. Though God only knows what mispronunciation of their names he'd come up with. Everyone in the building calls me Hawkguy, now.

 _Wolverine_ calls me Hawkguy now.

I'm manning the grill when Kate slides up to me, sipping from a beer I'm pretending she's not drinking.

“I prefer this to jumping out of windows,” Kate says, dangling the beer from two fingers.

“You and me both,” I say, smiling over at her.

“You seem better,” Kate says after a quiet moment. I look at her but she's watching Teddy literally make faces for the little ones.

I think about it.

“Sorted some of my crap out,” I say with a shrug. “Plus -”

“Yeah?” Kate asks when I don't finish the thought.

“Don't let it go to your head but,” I can feel my cheeks reddening which is ridiculous, I'm a grown-ass man. “Sometimes I think I'm better when you're around.”

“Yeah?” Kate doesn't sound smug so I hazard a look at her. She's smiling slightly, just a little thing.

“Yeah,” I say, looking back down at the grill.

“Sometimes I feel the same way,” she says, just before Noh-Varr scoops her up and demands she dance with him.

I smile to myself and lean down to scratch Lucky behind the ear.

9\. _Related_

His humans fight a lot.

The One That Smells Of Coffee is always sad after and The One That Smells Of Perfume is always mad after. He does his best to cheer The One That Smells Of Coffee up and gets an,

_aw, dog_

for his troubles. He helps The One That Smells Of Perfume calm down and she scratches his ears just right says,

_xxx xxxxxxx better xxxx xxx Lucky_

because Lucky is his name now. He likes it better than Arrow.

Arrow didn't make sense.

The One That Smells Of Perfume takes him away for a while – he thinks she needs him more – but he feels sad for The One That Smells Of Coffee. He's probably lonely. Maybe Other Dog will take care of him? Or The One That Smells Like The One That Smells Of Coffee.

He's happiest when his humans are back together again. They still argue but it's not as bad. And The One That Smells Of Coffee doesn't seem as sad as he was. The One That Smells Of Perfume has another furry pet, now, The One That Smells Of Other and doesn't need him as much.

He loves his humans because his humans love him. And they love each other too, in their own ways, and that's enough for him.


End file.
